South Whidbey State Park
We’ve been doing the trails in South Whidbey State Park for years as Lucas and Ida’s grandparents live nearby in Greenbank. The state park used to be a popular place for camping but the campsites were shut down some years ago because of tree disease and risk of falling trees. Now there’s a gate blocking the entrance to the campaign area; cars can’t enter meaning the roads have been converted into mostly paved trails.
Speaking of that gate, its a bit tight to maneuver around in a wheelchair (see picture below). But once you’re in there’s a fair share to explore. We’ve made it all the way to the picnic shelter at the far end of the park and there’s a few side loops on the way. Note: the accessible trails on the west side of the park are close enough to the highway that you can hear the occasional car. The park extends to the east side of the highway, further away from the road, but the trails on that side are not accessible.
Key stats:
Distance: There is more than a mile of paved trails in the park.
Wheelchair accessible parking? Yes, a few spots in the main parking lot
Wheelchair accessible bathrooms? Yes
Trail condition? Most of the trails are paved because they used to be roads accessing car camping sites. There are a few spur trails that are dirt and grass which are not maintained but unobstructed and thus still fairly easy to navigate. Falling needles and cones build up on the paved trails during certain times of the year making them a little more difficult to navigate in a wheelchair. Also, there’s one long hill right at the beginning of the trail coming down from the gate.
Highlights?
Just strolling through the big, old growth trees is a thrill. It’s also great to have such wide, paved trails in the middle of the forest. Finally, there are lots of birds. The most recent time we walked/ rolled through the park we just stopped and remained quiet for a few minutes to listen to all the amazing bird sounds around us.
More information about South Whidbey State Park here and check out a map here.
